Low Fat Pasta Carbonara

There are some nights I get home from work and the last thing I want to do is to cook dinner. I think 99% of you know exactly what I’m talking about. You open the fridge, look around and nothing appeals to you. But you don’t want to call for take-out or eat some fast-food hamburger, and not eating certainly isn’t an option. You want something healthy and you don’t want to have to do a lot of work for it. Okay, this is the recipe for you. It’s easy to make and you probably have most of the ingredients in your fridge right now.

The eggs, milk and cheese create a rich-tasting base for the pasta while the crispy chicken bacon gives the dish a nice crunch! If you don’t mind a little bit of heat, throw in a teaspoon of red chili flakes. This is one of my go-to recipes to make just before the weekend or before I do a long run or a race. It’s got a nice balance of protein and carbs. The nice things about this dish are that it’s low in calories while tasting much richer than it actually is. Best of all, it’s not going to make you feel weighed down and tired like some full-fat pasta dishes can.

What are some of your favorite healthy meals that are quick and easy to make?

Low Fat Pasta Carbonara
(Yield: 4 servings)

Ingredients:

1 pound fresh whole wheat pasta

3/4 cup low-fat milk (1%)

2 whole eggs

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

1 teaspoon garlic salt, divided

1 teaspoon black pepper, divided

2 tablespoons butter or margarine

8 slices chicken bacon, cooked until crispy

1 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)

Directions:

In a frying pan, cook the chicken bacon slices until crispy. Once the bacon has cooled, crumble it small bite sized pieces and set aside.

Add the milk, eggs, Parmesan cheese, 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt and 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper to a large bowl and whisk together until combined. Make sure the bowl is big enough to hold all of the pasta you’ll be making. Don’t worry about the eggs, the hot pasta will cook the eggs once it is added.

Boil the fresh pasta in hot water for 3-5 minutes or cook it according to the directions on the package.

Immediately drain the pasta once it is done cooking and then transfer it to the bowl with the egg mixture. Toss the pasta in the mixture and coat evenly. Once the pasta is coated with the egg mixture, add in the remaining garlic salt, pepper, butter, red pepper flakes and bacon pieces. Toss again to combine and serve immediately.